All dentists, including your general dentist, receive some training in root canal treatment while in dental school. However, general dentists often refer patients needing root canal treatment to a specialist.
After finishing their basic dental degree (B.D.S), endodontists (root canal specialists) spend three more years studying endodontic procedures (root canal treatment) in greater detail. At the end of three years, they are awarded a master’s degree (M.D.S) which enables them to teach and practice in the field. Because they are specially trained to handle complex procedures, many dentists refer their root canal cases to an endodontist.
This is root canal treatment that is done through a dental microscope with specialized microscopic instruments. It has numerous advantages. Click here to know more about microscopic endodontics.
No. The procedure doesn't cause pain, it relieves it. The perception of root canal treatment being painful began decades ago. But with the latest technologies, anesthetics and microscopes, root canal treatment today is no more uncomfortable than having a filling placed.
Most root canals can be treated in a single sitting in our dental clinic. The procedure normally takes about 90 minutes. If a root canal is badly infected, or presents procedural difficulties, then it may require a second sitting.
You will experience mild discomfort in the tooth for a few days and will not be able to use that tooth for chewing. The pain felt is usually very mild and is easily controlled by the medication prescribed for you.
Once a tooth has reached a stage where root canal treatment is necessary, a simple filling will not help. The only alternative is surgical extraction (removal) of the tooth.
No. Saving your natural teeth, if possible, is the best option. Once a tooth is removed, it has to be replaced. In order to give a fixed replacement, one has to either opt for a bridge or an implant. Placement of a bridge or an implant will require significantly more treatment time and may result in further procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissues. Nothing can completely replace your natural tooth. An artificial tooth can sometimes cause you to avoid certain foods. Retaining your natural teeth is important so that you can continue to enjoy the wide variety of food necessary to maintain the proper nutrient balance in your diet.
Endodontic treatment is much more economical and cost effective than the alternative of placing a bridge or an implant.
Root canal treatment has a success rate of about 96% which is excellent for any medical procedure today.
It is impossible to offer 100% guarantee for a procedure done on the human body. Hence, we do not offer any guarantee. However, with careful case selection, the potential for failure is extremely low.
If the root canal treatment fails, we try and find out why the failure has occurred and try to correct it if possible. If repeated re-treatment too doesn't succeed, we may have to extract the tooth and replace it with an implant.
Yes, you will be able to drive back home from the clinic. Root canal treatment does not cause any drowsiness or loss of coordination.
